Guard Your Heart Like a Ninja
by emeraldgal
Summary: Two orphans ran away hoping for a normal life. Unbeknownst to them, their lives wiil be far from normal. NOT Tcest Leo/OC Raph/OC Rated T just in case
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Prologue**

A ten year old girl was in her shared 'room' at Ms. Haiti's Home for Girls in New York City. Octavia Darkwoud sat on the dusty window sill. Her arms were around her knees, hugging them tightly to her chest. Her cropped, shoulder long, fiery red hair fell over her pale face. Her hazel gaze was upon the setting sun. Its burning glow set the city aflame with colors. She heard the door open and a sigh. Octavia turned her head to see her best (and only) friend Ember Wildman.

"Lecture?" Octavia asked.

Ember nodded. Ember had waist long, extremely dark brown hair. Her green eyes were sad and tired. The bags under her eyes were large and dark. Ember was tall for her age with the average build for a ten year old. She collapsed on the old mattress the girls called their bed.

"What about this time?" Octavia asked, turning to her friend.

"I broke a plate while on kitchen duty. Paid the price," Ember said bluntly. On her left cheek was a blossoming bruise. Octavia got off the window sill and went over to her friend. The two girls sat in silence, wondering when their lives would better.

Octavia and Ember both grew up in the orphanage from infancy. The orphanage was all they ever known. When they were little, the ladies in charge treated them well, caring for their every need and wish. But as the girls grew older, the attention dwindled to eventually nothing. The ladies in charge favored the younger children. Now that the girls were ten, all they had were each other.

Unfortunately, more children came to the orphanage than got adopted, so space was limited. As the oldest, Octavia and Ember were forced out of their previous room and into the attic. The attic had one window. The girls shared an old mattress. It was very cramped and dirty. There was even mold growing in one corner. Recently Ember had developed a terrible cough, a reaction to the mold. Octavia was worried about her friend. She knew if she didn't do anything, her best friend who was like a sister to her would die. She decided to take action. She had a plan. They were going to escape and they were going to do it that very night.

"Come on, Ember," Octavia said as she pried the old window open with a rusty crowbar.

"C-coming, Tavia," Ember whispered, going into a coughing fit. Tavia pushed all her body weight, all 70 pounds of her, onto the crowbar. The window gave way and broke open with a crack and a cloud of dust. Tavia's eyes watered as she coughed into her arm. She stole a glance at Ember who wheezed but gave her a determined nod. Tavia nodded back and climbed onto the sill.

She stopped for a second and felt the wind blow against her face. She took in a deep breath, and then swung herself onto the drain pipe. She began to shimmy down the pipe to the ground that was four stories down. Ember followed, breathing raspy pants. Octavia's bare feet touched the sidewalk and she let go of the pipe. She looked around while Ember landed beside her. It was a foggy night, the only light seen was that of the street lamps. "Whoa," she whispered.

Octavia nodded, "'Whoa' is right."

What do we do now?" Ember asked, turning to her friend.

Octavia turned to her. "We walk," she stated.

The two ten year olds walked the streets of New York, neither knowing where they were going. As long as they were going the opposite direction of the orphanage, Octavia didn't really care. They eventually came to an old park that clearly hadn't been played on in forever. The park was surrounded by a bunch of crumbling buildings.

Ember began to cough violently, her body shuddering. Octavia made her sit down on a bench and put an arm around her. A noise came from one of the buildings. The girls jumped to see a midnight black cat chase a charcoal colored rabbit. The two animals ran past the girls, brushing against their legs.

Ember looked at Octavia. "We should keep going," she said.

"You sure?" the red head asked, concerned, "We could stop if you need to rest."

Ember shook her head stubbornly. "No," she declared, her voice hoarse, "We need to keep going." Octavia looked at her friend and nodded. The girls stood up and began to walk.

The park was full of litter. One of the many things that covered the ground was an odd looking metal canister. A long puddle of glowing, electric blue of ooze like substance had formed next to it from the drips from the crack in the canister. Octavia tripped over the canister and fell face first into the ooze, taking Ember with her.

The two girls screamed in agony as their bodies began to mutate. DNA from the cat had clung to Octavia when it brushed past her. The hair on her skin grew into midnight black fur. Two pointed ears grew on the top of the head and her tailbone extended into a sleek cat like tail. Her fingers and toes grew paw pads on the tips and her finger nail grew into cat like talons, which she could retract like a cat. She squeezed her hazel eyes shut in pain. They shot open seconds later, now a bright yellow, the pupils now feline like slits. Her teeth grew into sharp, pointed fangs. Her nose shrank to a black triangle and whiskers sprouted from her face. The tips of her ears were a fiery red. A fiery red strip of fur ran down from her forehead down and around her eyes like a mask.

Ember groaned and shrieked as she too grew fur. Her body was covered in charcoal colored fur. Two long floppy ears hung to her shoulders. Her nose also shrank into a triangle but pink. Whiskers sprouted on her face. Paw pads grew on the bottom of her finger and toes. Her tail bone morphed into a stubbed tail. Her eyes changed into a vibrant green and her pupils enlarged, resembling a rabbit's.

Octavia and Ember sat up. They looked at each other and screamed. "Dude!" Ember exclaimed, "You look like a cat!"

"Well, you look like an over grown bunny!" Octavia retorted. They looked at their reflections in the glass of the now empty canister and gasped.

"Holy," Ember started.

"Crap," Octavia finished.


	2. Chapter 2: The Fight

Ember Wildman sat on an old crate in an abandoned factory. She was now 16, six years after she and her 'sister' (by heart, not blood) Octavia Darkwoud escaped the orphanage. Six years after they fell in that ooze and mutated into what they were now. Before they were mutated, Ember had a fungus infection in her lungs. But during her mutation, the ooze had cured her. Ember was wearing an off white top that ended in a V form just above her bellybutton. A small key hole was in the middle of the top, held together by a few still connecting threads. Her black shorts were ripped just above the knees from years of wear. She had a scar over her left eye from a struggle with some Purple Dragons.

Surrounding Ember's feet were dozens of piles of shurikens or throwing stars. In her hands was a sheet of steel she was shaping into a throwing star with a steel butcher knife. One of the old factory windows opened and a man sized cat jumped in carrying a box of pizza. "Hey, Tavia," Ember said smiling at her friend, "Got dinner?"

"You know it," the cat grinned, setting the box on a crate next to Ember. She sat next to the box. She unsheathed her long, feline talons and cut the pizza into slices. Octavia had many battle scars. One of the most noticeable ones was on the left side of her face. Right next to her golden eye, it ran from the tip of the eye to the bottom of her cheek bone. The point of her left ear was ripped off, leaving a torn stub, luckily she could still hear out of it. Scars peppered her arms and legs like freckles. Her left arm was bandaged up. Dried blood and dirt caked the once white cloth. She was wearing what used to be a light gray tube top, but over time it got ripped to just below her rib cage. Her dark brown shorts were full of rips and tears. A gray strip of cloth was tied in a knot around her waist in a make shift belt.

"Did anyone see you?" Ember asked, taking a slice of pizza.

The cat mutant shook her head, "Nope," she grinned, "Ninja skills." The two girls grinned at each other. For six years they had kept their existence a secret. While the police were searching for two missing orphan _human_ girls, they remained hidden in the old cooking utensil factory. They wore only the minimum amount of clothes for multiple reasons. One, they had no money, meaning they had to steal. And they didn't want to take anymore than what was necessary. Two, they needed to agile and mobile, able to make a quick escape. Any more or looses clothing would get in the way. Three, they grow. They grow out of their clothes and _fast_. But instead of stealing more, they simply tear the clothing that was too tight. Why? The girls simply don't _like_to steal, but they knew they had to if they wanted to live.

After the girls finished their pizza, Ember stood up and stretched. "I'm board. You wanna go out and maybe beat up some Purple Dragons?"

Octavia laughed at her friend's hopeful expression. Their was nothing Ember loved more than putting those thugs in their place. "Sure," the cat grinned, standing up. The two hit the roof tops of New York, searching for anything out of the ordinary. They were silent shadows, leaping from roof to roof with skill. Octavia lept with feline grace and agility. Ember ran fast and swift like a rabbit. Even if you were to look for them on the roofs, all you would see is _maybe_a black or grey blur.

Octavia skidded to a stop, her feline ears perked. Ember halted and looked at her. Octavia was the leader of the two. She always was, even when they were still in the orphanage. She even took a couple of hits for Ember when the two got in trouble. In battle, Tavia took most of the hits, that was obvious from her scars and wounds. "What is it, Tavia?" Ember whispered.

The feline's sensitive ears picked up a weak scream in the distance. "A young girl in pain. Only a couple of streets away." With that, the two were off, leaping from roof to roof with even more speed. Right now, Octavia was in leader mode. Her jaw was set, her eyes and mind focused. The girls stopped at a roof and looked down in a dead end alley. Five Purple Dragons had a very scared girl cornered. _'Can't be older than 14,' _Octavia noted. This made her furious. How dare they even go _near _some one so innocent and defenseless?!

The feline mutant jumped down, landing right between the girl and the thugs. Ember landed right next to her friend. "What the hell?!" one of the purple dragons exclaimed.

"It's one of those freaks!" another one shouted.

Tavia was unfazed by their remarks. "Don't you know how to treat a lady?" she asked softly, her voice soft yet sinister.

One of the guys scoffed, "It's none of your business freak! It's between us and the treat!"

"Treat?" Ovtavia asked through grit teeth.

Ember smirked. These idiots were in for it now. Normally _she _was the rash one with the temper and Tavia had to calm her down. Tavia was a pretty balanced and calm girl and it took a lot to set her off. But if you somehow did set her off, you practically started World War III. The cat mutant growled and crouched in an attacking stance. Her ears her pushed back and her tail flicked in anticipation. Her golden eyes were narrowed into slits. She unsheathed her claws and, with a blood curdling yowl, launched herself onto one of the thugs.

Ember grinned and threw herself into the action. She chucked several shurikens at the guys. Two of the stars skimmed one thugs arms while the third embedded itself in another guy's leg. Both thugs cried in pain. The Purple Dragons may act like they own the streets, but really they were just a bunch of weaklings with little to no pain tolerance. Ember flashed her electric green eyes over her shoulder and back flipped over the guy behind her, hitting his pressure points as she went. When she landed on her feet, the thug fell to the ground unable to move. Ember smirked. Hearing a yowl, she spun around.

One of the Purple Dragons Octavia was fighting had slit her side. Octavia held a paw like hand to the wound. Ember started to her, but the feline shook her head. "Go to the girl!" she shouted. Hesitantly, Ember nodded. The rabbit girl ran over to the 14 year old who had fainted, checking her for any wounds. "That's it!" Octavia growled, "You guys wanna fight dirty? I'll show ya how to fight dirty!" She reached over her shoulder and pulled out her battle mace from it's case that was slung on her back. She swung the deadly mace, gaining momentum. Octavia hit the guy behind her in the head and the one in front of her in the stomach with one full swoop of her arm. the two thugs fell to the ground.

"Let's get out of here!" one of the Purple Dragons yelled. The other hastily nodded in agreement and scurried out away. Octavia was crouched over breathing heavily, the mace hung heavy and limp at her side. She stood up and slung the mace back in it's case. She turned to Ember who was looking at the girl's phone.

"Do you know where she lives?" Octavia asked.

Ember shook her head, "No,but I'm texting her dad to pick her up. The rabbit finished typing and sent the message. She put the phone back in the girl's pocket and stood up. "You okay?" she asked.

The feline nodded, "We should get going." Ember nodded and the two lept to the fire escape then the roof. They ran home, totally unaware they were being watched. Four figures had seen the entire fight from the roof top.

"Dudes!" one of the figures whisper yelled, "Did you see that?"

Another nodded. "We all did, Mikey," it said slightly annoyed.

"You think we should follow?" a third asked.

The fourth nodded and they followed the two girls. Leaping roof top to roof top, their silhouettes visible against the full moon. Anyone looking up would have double looked, not believing they had seen four giant turtle shaped shadows jump from roof to roof.


	3. Chapter 3: Confrontations

Ember jumped in the factory through the window. She front flipped and landed on her back on her 'bed', which was a large pile of dirty shreds of cloth. "Man, that was fun," she grinned. Octavia jumped down from the window sill, landing on her feet. She glanced around, seeming nervous which was _way _out of character for her. Ember looked at her friend. "You okay?" she asked.

"I-I'm not sure," the feline mutant said, putting a padded finger to her lip. "I just don't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Ember asked, sitting up.

"I don't know," Octavia looked around some more. "I just have a feeling like, like we're being watched..."

The rabbit girl laughed. Then, she looked back at her friend and her grin disappeared. "Wait. You're _serious_?" Octavia nodded. Ember stood up and walked over to her friend. "Tavia, there's no way someone could have followed us with out us knowing. I mean, come on! We're ninja! With awesome ninja skills, remember?" Ember did a couple ninja flips and kicks in demonstration. Octavia cracked a smile, but didn't relax. Her body stayed tense and alert. Ember sighed placed a paw like hand on her friend's shoulder. "Look Tavia. If someone was spyin' on us, we'd know."

Hesitantly, Octavia nodded. Her tail swished back and forth. "We should probably go to bed," she said. Ember nodded and yawned. She walked over to her 'bed' fell onto it. She was asleep before her body hit the cloth. Octavia walked over to her 'bed' and curled up, her tail wrapped around her. Her eyes grazed the room one more time before they closed.

Octavia had just nodded off when there was a huge crash and a groan. Octavia shot up like a rocket, her ears perked and alert. Her tail swished nervously. She unsheathed her claws. Tavia looked over her shoulder at Ember, who had also woken at the noise. The rabbit mutant held up her fists. Ninja stars were clenched between her fingers. Ember nodded at Octavia who nodded back. The two went over to the doorway and peeked in the other room.

"Oww..." a figure moaned, slowly standing up. The girls' eyes widened. The intruder looked like a giant freakin' _turtle! _The turtle was the size of a teenager. He had an orange mask around his blue eyes. Two sets of nunchuks hung at his sides.

"Way to go, Mikey," a voice sounded. Three other teen sized turtles jumped down from a broken window. Octavia observed them silently. The one that spoke had red mask around his green eyes. Two sai were strapped to his sides. To the right of the one in red was another. He had a light purple around his brown eyes. Tavia noted his weapon of choice was a bo staff. To the left of the one in red was a slightly taller turtle. Tavia guessed him to be oldest. He was wearing a dark blue mask. His eyes were a much lighter crystal blue. Two katana swords were strapped to back.

The one in blue looked around. "I think their still asleep," he said.

_That_ticked Ember off. Her electric green eyes flashed and she stepped out of the shadows, her shurikens glistening in the moonlight that filtered through the cracked, dirty windows. "Four dudes have been spyin' on us? That's a bit stalkerish, dontcha think?" The guys whirled around with wide eyes to see Ember. Octavia stepped out of the shadows. Raph's hands went to his sai. Ember saw this and, with lightning speed, slammed Raph against the wall, her grip tight on his neck. "You've got three seconds to give me a good reason not to break your neck!" she growled lowly. Raph glared at her and tried to move, but the rabbit girl tightened her grip on the red clad turtle. He struggled to breathe while Ember glared at him.

"Ember," Octavia said with authority in her voice. The rabbit mutant looked over at the feline then back at Raph. She glared at him as she suddenly released her hold on him. The turtle fell to the ground. Donnie ran to Raph's side. All four turtles looked at Octavia as she walked forward, her claws unsheathed. She walked until she stood only three feet away from Leo. Ember retreated to her sister's side. "You must forgive my tends to act before she thinks," the feline said, retracting her claws. She looked Leo dead in the eyes, unblinking. Leo inwardly flinched under the feline's steady, golden gaze. "But you really can't blame us," Octavia continued, her gaze not wavering in the slightest. "We never get visitors, for obvious reasons. The both of us are very territorial."

With an effort, Leo held Octavia's gaze. "My name is Leonardo. These are my brothers: Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael."

"That's nice," Ember said sarcastically, "Now tell us what the hell you're doing in our home!"

Octavia fought back a grin. Ember was never one to sugar coat. "My name is Octavia," she said, then pointed to Ember. "this is my sister Ember."

"We saw your fight with the Purple Dragons," Leo stated, his eyes still locked with Octavia's.

"Oh..." Ember said, "So you _are_stalkers!"

Octavia bit her lip, fighting back a smirk. She stared down Leo. It was obvious she was winning. "I see. Therefore, you decided to follow us?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Stalkers.." Ember sang under her breath.

Donnie stood up and walked up next to Leo. "How exactly did you become that way?" he asked.

"And just why should we tell you?" Ember asked, her eyes ablaze.

Octavia put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "We fell in a puddle of mutagen," she said.

Donnie's eyes widened. "What did it look like?" he asked.

"A glowing light blue," Octavia said, "Why?"

"I think... I think you were hit with the same mutagen that we were..." he said quietly.


	4. Chapter 4: Tending Wounds and Healing

Octavia looked at Donnie with curious eyes. "The same mutagen?" she asked.

Donnie nodded. "We were once regular turtles but we got hit with mutagen and were transformed into-" He cut himself off when he saw the gash in her side. His eyes widened. "Y-your side..." he stuttered.

Octavia looked down at the knife wound she got in the fight with the Purple Dragons. It was a long, deep gash that went from the bottom of her rib cage to her hip. Dark red blood had clotted her fur. In her paranoia of being watched, she forgot to clean it. "I'll have to clean that," she muttered.

Donnie looked at her in surprise. "You have disinfectant?" he asked.

Octavia shook her head. "No, we wash it out with water and bandage it."

"With what?"

"Usually old scraps of cloth."

Donnie looked at her as if she had just told them they killed kids for a living. "Are you crazy?! Do you know how many infections you probably have?!"

Ember growled lowly, "And just what were we supposed to do about it?" With every word she said, she took a step towards Donnie. "It's not like we can just waltz into a drug store and buy some disinfectant!" She had him against the wall, her face inches from his, her green eyes blazing. Donnie gulped and looked at her scared.

"Ember," Octavia said, her voice was stern but with a small hint of amusement.

"We could take you back to our place where Donnie could fix it," Mikey suggested.

"What?!" Raph yelled, "You're kidding right?!" Everyone looked at him. ""She just tried to kill us!"

Ember scoffed. "Don't be such a baby. I didn't hurt you that bad."

"You tried to choke me to death!" Raph yelled.

Ember shrugged. "Not my fault I'm stronger than you."

Raph's eyes blazed with fury. He opened his mouth to retort but Leo cut him off. "We could take you to our home to fix your wounds," he said calmly.

Octavia looked at Ember, who was having a stare down with Raph. A small smirk tugged at her lips that only Leo caught. "We would appreciate it," she said. Ember's eyes widened and she swirled at look at her sister.

"Are you crazy?!" the rabbit asked in disbelief.

"Probably," Octavia said simply.

"Follow us," Leo told them. He jump out the window and his brothers followed. Octavia looked at Ember and jumped out the window after the guys. Ember scowled and followed. The girls met the turtles at a man hole cover.

"The hell are we doing here?" Ember asked irritated.

"We live in the sewer," Donnie explained.

Ember stared at him for a couple seconds before saying, "You're kidding, right?"

Octavia smacked her sister upside the head and turned to Leo. "Lead the way," she said. Leo nodded, lifted the cover, and jumped down. Mikey jumped down after him. Ember looked at Octavia, who rose her eyebrows and inclined her head to the sewer. The rabbit girl looked down at the sewer, sighed, and jumped down. Octavia jumped down, followed by Raph and Donnie, who pulled the cover over the sewer hole.

Ember made a sound of disgust as she landed in the sewage. Octavia ignored her sister and looked around. Due to the cat DNA that was merged with her, like a cat she could see in dark or dimly lit areas. Small mirrors behind her cat eyes trapped the little light and helped her see. There were several passage ways in the sewer system they were in. She turned to Leo. "Lead the way," she said.

Leo nodded and started down a tunnel with everyone in tow. Leo was in the front. Octavia and Ember were behind him. Donnie was to Octavia's right and Mikey was to Ember's left. Raph was behind the girls muttering quietly under his breath about the girls and that they couldn't possibly trust them.

"You do know I can hear you," Ember said, her voice cutting through the quiet. Raph glared at her and she smirked. Octavia rolled her eyes at her sister.

"We're here." Leo said, walking into the lair. Octavia looked around. She had to admit, the guys's home was pretty amazing. They had a TV, an actual kitchen, a training room, furniture... basically everything she and Ember didn't have. Octavia looked at Ember who apparently hated the fact the turtles had what they didn't.

"Right," Donnie said, "why don't you sit on the couch and I'll get the disinfectant. Octavia nodded and obeyed. Ember looked at her sister, silently asking her if she knew what she was doing. The cat girl gave her a slight nod and quirked an eyebrow. Ember rolled her eyes. Donnie came back with a first aid kit and knelled down in front of her. The cat girl leaned to the left, her right side towards Donnie. he pulled out a brown bottle. "This will sting a little," he warned.

Octavia looked at him, her golden eyes hard and guarded, but there was something else. A sadness, a burning sadness lay within them. Donnie looked down at the cut and began to clean it. Leo noticed how her hands were balled in fists, her claws digging into her palms.

"So..." Mikey said, trying to break the silence. Ember looked at her sister. Her electric eyes were pained, her heart wretched as Octavia tried not to show her pain. The air was heavy and awkward. "PIZZA!" Mikey screamed. Everyone looked at the orange clad turtle.

"What?" Ember asked.

"Yea, pizza!"

"What about it?" the rabbit girl asked.

"I love it!"

"Okay?" Ember said, not sure what was wrong with him.

"Do you like pizza?" Mikey asked.

"I guess..."

The youngest turtle grabbed her in a hug. "We have so much in common!" he said. Ember looked at him, questioning his sanity, and tried to pry him off of her. There was a small sound and the four looked at the couch to see Octavia trying not to laugh. She was biting her bottom lip. Her eyes sparkled in amusement.

"Uh, a little help?" Ember asked.

"Mikey," Leo said,"let her go."

"Aww..." the youngest complained, but obeyed.

Donnie wrapped Octavia's side in gauze. "Well, your side is fixed, but I want to check some of your older cuts. I just want to make sure they're not infected."

"Alright," Octavia agreed. As Donnie went over her scars, he said, "I have a question."

"I might have an answer," the cat smirked.

Donnie looked at her. "How come you two wear clothes. I mean, we got hit by the same mutagen but we don't need to."

"Unlike you four, we were once human," Octavia said. The four looked at her blankly.

"It means we still have girl parts, geniuses," Ember said, plopping down next to her sister. Octavia hit her playfully on the shoulder as the guys blushed lightly.

"Bad news," Donnie said.

"What?" Octavia asked.

"You have at least six infections, maybe more," he whistled lowly as Octavia cursed under her breath. Donnie looked at Ember. "You probably have some too."

"Fan-flippin'-tastic," Ember said sarcastically.

"You should stay here so Donnie can help you." Leo said.

"Wait, like, stay here?" Ember asked.

"Yes."

"With you four?"

"Yea."

"Oh, hell no!" Ember yelled, jumping up from the couch.

"Ember..." Octavia said, trying to calm her down.

"What? You're actually considering this? Come on, Tavia! They freakin' stalked us, busted into our home, carried us to their home, and-"

"And helped us," Octavia finished. Ember blinked and looked at her. The cat girl stood up and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "They didn't have to help, Em. If it weren't for them, I'd probably be dead from an infection in a couple days tops. They showed us were they live."

"Like we could remember how to get here," Ember muttered.

Octavia ignored her and continued, "If they really wanted to hurt us, they would have done so by now." Ember looked away from the cat's eyes and muttered to herself. Octavia turned to Leo and said, "We would appreciate it."

"What about Sensei?" Raph asked.

"He said he'd be back soon," Donnie said.

Leo nodded. "We''ll talk to him when he get's back."

Octavia looked at Ember. "You should let him check your scars," she said. Ember looked at Donnie, scanning him over with her electric green eyes. She looked at Octavia, who gave an encouraging nod, and slowly sat down on the couch.

"So," Octavia said, sitting next to Ember,"how did you guys get to be here?"

"It's a long story," Leo said.

Octavia gave him a small smile, "I think we have time."


End file.
